On December 4, 2024, with an impressive turnout, the documentary “Hileja” directed by Ola Mitre, was premiered. The event brought together civil society organizations, donors, academics, university representatives, institutions, experts, and nature enthusiasts.
Following the screening, an in-depth discussion took place regarding the significance of Protected Areas in Albania and the challenges they face. Inspired by the documentary’s content, the discussion emphasized recent legal amendments to the Protected Areas law and the removal of certain areas due to boundary changes.
Moderated by Besjana Shehu, the discussion focused on recent issues occurring in Protected Areas with contributions from diverse speakers, enriching the dialogue. Notably:
Ola Mitre, media representative and producer of Hileja, highlighted the critical role of media in addressing environmental issues and shared the challenges faced during the documentary’s production.
Taulant Bino, president of AOS, stressed the importance of sustainable policies for nature conservation and advocated for leveraging international tools to ensure sustainability.
Anila Salianji, Smart Balkans Project Manager at IDM, underlined the importance of collaboration among civil society organizations (CSOs) and the need for financial support from donors for such causes.
Irena Dule and Elvana Tivari, lawyers, addressed the legal implications of the expedited processes to amend the Protected Areas law by our authorities..
Genti Kromidha, representative of INCA, spoke about the urgency and potential long-term damage caused by the hasty legislative changes.
The discussion extended to audience participation, with a strong focus on the necessity of challenging the law in the Constitutional Court, where a lawsuit has already been filed. The importance of collaboration and support for effective Protected Area management emerged as key topics, fostering a constructive dialogue about the future of these natural areas.
Sincere thanks and acknowledgments go to all participants for contributing to this significant event.
The activity is conducted by AOS – Albanian Ornithological Society with the support of the “SMART Balkans – Civil Society for Shared Society in the Western Balkans” regional project implemented by Centar za promociju civilnog društva (CPCD), Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM) and Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) and financially supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA)
